


Before We Fell Apart

by Jen425



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Tokusatsu
Genre: Developing Relationship, Getting Together, M/M, Pre-Canon, questionable science
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:20:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22426207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jen425/pseuds/Jen425
Summary: A look at their relationship before things quite literally blew up on them
Relationships: Anton Mercer | Mesogog/Tommy Oliver
Comments: 8
Kudos: 18
Collections: Ranger Romance Ficathon 2020





	Before We Fell Apart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [borrowedphrases](https://archiveofourown.org/users/borrowedphrases/gifts).



> Thanks for the excuse to write Tommy/Anton. I figured I’d write something pre-show because my angst button is broken. Enjoy!

Anton is working with dinosaur DNA and technology to test theories on dinosaurs and potential prosthetics and human growth in a cross of sciences that verges on pseudo-scientific. He is, quite frankly, well aware of the Jurassic Park jokes affiliated with his island labs.

(He’s also fairly certain that he finally deserves them, between the Tyrannodrones and the new project he needs to approve or deny, but that’s another conversation.)

Another bad reputation Anton has gotten is doing most of the work when something is extremely expiramental. Like this.

There’s a monster stepping out of his machine. But he doesn’t fear his own creation. It listens to him, just like it should.

He’s not sure if this should be introduced to the rest of his team just yet, however.

“Anton?”

…or not.

Anton looks around at the voice in the doorway. Sure enough, it’s Tommy Oliver.

(He remembers, about a year ago, meeting this kid who’d breezed through college and half the researche for his doctorate in three years on apparent pure willpower and seemed almost nostalgic when speaking to him about familiar topics spanning both the geobiology and the technical side of his more controversial research, on his first dig.

“It’s possible,” Tommy had explained, completely serious. “I come from Angel Grove - I’ve watched a toaster be turned into a fire machine. The question is really how to incorporate the living tissue with technology.”

“Nothing lasts,” Anton had admitted.

The most impressive part, to Anton, had been that Tommy had actually had original ideas.

And somehow the earnest kid was probably his most successful assistant, with the Tyrannodrones to prove it.)

“Tommy,” Anton says. There’s something oddly tense in the younger man’s expression, definitely unfamiliar.

“That’s a monster,” he says, bluntly.

“Hello,” the creature in question replies.

“Well it certainly looks like something a Power Ranger would fight,” Anton replies, because he hasn’t actually forgotten that Tommy moved to Angel Grove shortly after the monster attacks began, there. “It’s not dangerous, though.”

“I was made for the purpose of testing the machine,” the monster replies.

Tommy blinks.

“…I can’t deal with this,” he says. “Is this extra secret?”

“I’d rather it not get out any more than the first attempt at the Tyrannodrones,” Anton admits.

Tommy leaves without another word.

Okay, even for someone normal who lived in a Ranger town, that had to be odd…

Oh.

Tommy has never been normal.

That would explain a lot.

  
  
  


Tommy is fairly used to his friends’ jokes about being chased by the Power and chasing it just as much. It’s not really unfair, after all. Three colors, four suits, five power sets, and too much kidnapping and/or brainwashing might have left him a little too in tune with the Power and a slight bit stuck in the past.

Still, it is incredibly ironic and unfair of the universe for him to walk in on his mentor using a still experimental machine to make a monster the same day as when Anton decides whether or not to approve work on the Biozords.

At least after calming himself down enough to return to the main lab seemingly unaffected, the rest of the week is normal. This seventh attempt of the Tyrannodrones only has four particularly bloodthirsty ones.

(He avoids Anton to an almost notable degree.)

So he almost forgets having to talk to Anton later. And for once it might actually be justified.

That said, he has it written down three places and another researcher reminds him, as well, so he does.

“The Biozords are a bit ambitious,” Anton says. “We’ve never tried something so… clean, before.”

“Hence the egg process,” Tommy says. “We can track their stability as they develop and trigger their hatching when ready.”

Anton hmms.

“You know a lot about this,” he says. It’s not accusatory, but it is probing. Tommy sighs.

There’s no way around this with his mentor. Even if Anton is not and is not even _similar_ to Zordon, to his capital “M” Mentor.

“I think you have a question,” he says. “And an answer.”

“You’re a Ranger,” Anton says. “In retrospect, it was obvious.”

Tommy shrugs.

“I get that relatively often,” he says. “So what do you want to know?”

“Nothing,” Anton replies, and Tommy can feel himself freeze. “Although I am impressed. Most people on this island have secrets Tommy.”

“Thank you,” he offers. Anton raises his shoulders in a slight shrug.

“Don’t make the Biozords without a smaller model,” he says instead of responding. “Raptor sized, maybe.”

Tommy nods.

“That’s reasonable,” he says.

  
  
  


Anton has to admit, he’s impressed with Tommy’s work. The Raptor that they hatch, through Tommy’s ingenious genetic and cybernetic ideas put to action from the techs and geneticists on the island.

“There’s definitely feather coding,” he explains. “No one could replicate it, but it was there.”

The more you know.

Still, as impressed as Anton is, they’ve already talked about the promise, including with Tommy pseudo-supervisors (really only in name). Technically he was there for the theoretical side, but he seemed to find his way into every part of the project, and every project to boot.

“You know a lot about this,” Anton says. Tommy nods. “The Dinosaurs were used…”

“In 1993,” Tommy says, without hesitation. “I was fourteen when I became a Ranger. The youngest Earth affiliated Ranger was twelve. And I’m fairly certain this island stretches legal ethics.”

That’s a fair point.

“And you… want to make Zords?” He asks. Tommy just shrugs.

“The Power is a part of me,” he says. “Even most of my teams don’t understand.”

Anton looks at the surety in his eyes, and his interest when working specifically on the Raptor Riders.

He thinks that he _does_.

  
  
  


Tommy somehow finds himself kissing Anton while bracing himself on a pile of only somewhat understandable numbers on the first Biozord. The good news? No breaking its shell like the prototype black Raptor Rider.

The bad news? They have no idea what will come out and no safe place to put a giant semi-robotic Tyrannosaurus made of metal and genetic coding.

And why is he still thinking about this?

“…What?” He asks, when they both pull away. Anton looks actually embarrassed, which is definitely a first.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “You’re just… incredible, Tommy.”

That’s not the first time Tommy’s heard that. It still leaves him almost stuttering his thanks.

“What is this?” He asks, immediately after. 

Anton sighs.

“It’s hard to have a relationship, when you’re known by the public as rich and by the science community as the man making Jurassic Park,” he says. “You’re honest with me, and you’re… intelligent and dedicated.”

Tommy hmms.

“My past relationships ended because I always choose the Power,” he says. “Likely, once I figure out what and who I’m making Zords for, I’ll be called somewhere else.”

“Then I’ll let you,” Anton replies. “You’re a good man, Tommy.”

Tommy kisses him again.

**Author's Note:**

> …and then it all goes to hell. Welcome to the fact that everything I like is made of pain!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
